Ratings27
Average rating3.9
The “beautiful” novel that inspired the Showtime series, from a Nebula Award finalist (The New York Times). The Man Who Fell to Earth tells the story of Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien disguised as a human who comes to Earth on a mission to save his people. Devastated by nuclear war, his home planet, Anthea, is no longer habitable. Newton lands in Kentucky and starts patenting Anthean technology—amassing the fortune he needs to build a spaceship that will bring the last three hundred Anthean survivors to Earth. But instead of the help he seeks, he finds only self-destruction, sinking into alcoholism and abandoning his spaceship, in this poignant story about the human condition—which has inspired both a film starring David Bowie and the new series starring Chiwetel Ejiofor—by the acclaimed author of Mockingbird. “Beautiful science fiction . . . The story of an extraterrestrial visitor from another planet is designed mainly to say something about life on this one.” —The New York Times “An utterly realistic novel about an alien human on Earth . . . Realistic enough to become a metaphor for something inside us all, some existential loneliness.” —Norman Spinrad, author of The Iron Dream “Those who know The Man Who Fell to Earth only from the film version are missing something. This is one of the finest science fiction novels of its period.” —J. R. Dunn, author of This Side of Judgment
Reviews with the most likes.
I am not sure why I have not read this story before. I loved it.
An intriguing if ultimately extremely pessimistic view on the human condition. The idea of an alien coming to earth and using their superior technology as a patent farm to raise funding is an intriguing one. Innovation and technology are an important area of the sci-fi genre and this is a good example of the near future part of that genre. The technologies are fascinatingly realised, believable in their conception. In this one however we see the fears and paranoias of humanity come to its fore, the tendency to lose oneself to ones vices. The premise of the corruption of human society is well done and intriguingly presented. Ultimately humanity is projected onto the alien and some of the worst aspects of it end up being imprinted.
Clever and cerebral sci-fi, definitely worth a read!
This was my second Walter Tevis book. I found it quite different to The Queens Gambit it was certainly no less enjoyable. I found it very moving, emotional and thought provoking. I look forward to read more of Tevis' books. Highly recommended.
Low-key invasion
naive, gin soaked refugee
don't swallow the cap.